1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the creation of files in a format capable of being utilized by a Web browser and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for creating Web browser readable files by printing through the Microsoft print driver mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet is a network of computers and computer networks located both domestically and throughout the world. Generally, the World Wide Web (xe2x80x9cthe Webxe2x80x9d) is a collection of files available across the Internet that conform to standards designed to facilitate display, location and retrieval of information (xe2x80x9ccontentxe2x80x9d) available on the Internet, typically though not necessarily, through a graphical user interface (GUI). Computer programs that read and display information stored in files in recognized formats are referred to as xe2x80x9cWeb browsers.xe2x80x9d Web browsers are manufactured by a number of companies including Netscape and Microsoft. Although the term xe2x80x9cserverxe2x80x9d has more than one meaning in the World Wide Web context, a xe2x80x9cserverxe2x80x9d is a computer connected to the Internet on which Web formatted content may be stored.
There are a large number of Web standards for information storage and retrieval. Some of these standards include Hypertext Markup Language (xe2x80x9cHTMLxe2x80x9d), Dynamic HTML (DHTML), Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), Graphic Interface Format (GIF), and Joint Photographers Expert Group (JPEG) among others. Of these, HTML is currently the most widely adopted format. Thus, by using a Web browser a user is able to retrieve and display information stored in HTML format. Such information may be stored on virtually any computer or computer network connected to the Internet, and the information itself may be varied in form, i.e., text, a picture, sound, video, etc. Files/documents stored in a Web format are often referred to as xe2x80x9cWeb pagesxe2x80x9d because each file/document typically appears as a separate screen/page when viewed by a browser.
There are several different versions of HTML. However, each version of HTML utilizes hypertext concepts to facilitate information location, retrieval, and display. Hypertext is the concept of displaying information that is linked to other information about which the user may be interested. Thus, a user may select an item of information (e.g., the word xe2x80x9cgiraffexe2x80x9d), and additional information about which the user may be interested will be displayed (e.g., links to zoos in the area, information about giraffe anatomy, etc.). Files/documents stored in HTML format are not compiled. Rather, they are interpreted by Web browsers as they are read.
HTML facilitates display and retrieval of information by Web browsers through he use of a number of standard codes/instructions that indicate how information is to be isplayed, where it may be found, and what action to take in response to user selections or activity. Although plain text in an HTML document is often simply displayed, just some of the codes/instructions supported by HTML include:  less than BANNER greater than ,  less than BASE greater than ,  less than BGSOUND greater than ,  less than BODY greater than ,  less than BODYTEXT greater than ,  less than DIV greater than ,  less than FN greater than ,  less than HEAD greater than ,  less than HTML greater than ,  less than ISINDEX greater than ,  less than LANG greater than ,  less than LINK greater than ,  less than META greater than ,  less than NEXTID greater than ,  less than RANGE greater than ,  less than SPOT greater than ,  less than STYLE greater than ,  less than H greater than ,  less than TITLE greater than ,  less than A greater than ,  less than ABBREV greater than ,  less than ADDRESS greater than ,  less than AU greater than ,  less than BQ greater than ,  less than BR greater than ,  less than CENTER greater than ,  less than CREDIT greater than ,  less than DEL greater than ,  less than HR greater than ,  less than INS greater than ,  less than MARQUEE greater than ,  less than NOBR greater than ,  less than NOTE greater than ,  less than PERSON greater than ,  less than Q greater than ,  less than TAB greater than ,  less than WBR greater than ,  less than AREA greater than ,  less than IMG greater than ,  less than MAP greater than ,  less than FORM greater than ,  less than INPUT greater than ,  less than OPTION greater than ,  less than SELECT greater than ,  less than TEXTAREA greater than ,  less than P greater than ,  less than DD greater than ,  less than DIR greater than ,  less than DL greater than , and  less than DT greater than . In addition, there are at least fifty-seven (57) other codes supported by various versions of HTML. VRML and other script languages are similarly complex while JPEG, GIF and other graphics file types have intricate structures that are generally inaccessible at the user level.
Typically, Web pages are created in one of two ways. First, a programmer or other person may create a Web page by typing the appropriate codes and text into a file. This process can be very time consuming and requires a detailed knowledge of HTML or other Web formats. In addition, the programmer or other person will need to be familiar with programming concepts generally and have a detailed knowledge of computer operations to successfully author a Web page and place it in a proper location so that it is available to others using the Internet. Thus, the Web page author will need to have a detailed knowledge of a series of applications and their commands (e.g., file transfer protocol (FTP), etc.) to successfully create and post a Web page.
A second method of creating a Web page utilizes Web authoring tools (e.g., Visual Cafe, Hot Dog, Front Page). These tools are separate computer programs designed to automate portions of Web page design. For example, the complex series of commands employed by HTML or another Web format may be replaced by a more structured authoring method and/or graph based authoring methods. However, these programs still require a high degree of skill, and use of the Web authoring tool may require time consuming training or detailed study.
Over the last several years, the Internet and the World Wide Web specifically have become increasingly popular and growing numbers of less computer knowledgeable/skilled people are using the Internet and Web. The complexity and time intensive nature of Web page authoring is a barrier preventing these persons from creating their own Web pages (xe2x80x9ca home pagexe2x80x9d). Thus, there has developed a need for a is simpler method of creating Web pages. In addition, because of the complexity and time intensive nature of HTML and other Web formats themselves, there is a general need for simpler methods of creating Web pages, even by sophisticated computer users/programmers.
A method of creating a Web page comprising the steps of creating a source file having a format not suited for viewing on the World Wide Web. Transmitting said source file to a print driver program through the Microsoft print driver mechanism. Formatting said source file in a format suited for viewing on the World Wide Web.